A method to produce a hardcopy output of an image on an imaging medium includes providing grayscale image data representing the image; determining a perforation density for representing the image; halftoning the grayscale image data based on the perforation density to form perforation halftone data; and producing the hardcopy output of the image by perforating the imaging medium in accordance with the perforation halftone data.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method to produce a hardcopy output of an image on an imaging medium, comprising: providing grayscale image data representing said image; determining a perforation density for representing said image; halftoning said grayscale image data based on said perforation density to form perforation halftone data; and producing said hardcopy output of said image by perforating said imaging medium in accordance with said perforation halftone data, wherein a maximum perforation density for said perforation density is selected based on a particular media type of said imaging medium being used.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said perforation density is selected automatically.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said perforation density is automatically set to a default maximum perforation density.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said perforation density is manually selected.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a user manually selects a maximum perforation density for a particular media type of said imaging medium being used.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein a user manually selects a desired perforation density for at least a portion of said image that is less than a maximum perforation density associated with a particular media type of said imaging medium.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said grayscale image data is halftoned at a cell size that is substantially equal to a perforation hole diameter formed by a perforation device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said perforation halftone data represents fill areas of said image that are to be perforated using a multidimensional perforation pattern corresponding to said grayscale image data.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said perforating is performed by a perforator unit under the control of at least one of a controller of an imaging apparatus and a host.
10. An imaging system configured to produce a hardcopy output of an image on an imaging medium, comprising: a perforator unit for perforating said imaging medium; and a device having a driver, and communicatively coupled to said perforator unit, said device executing program instructions to perform the acts of: receiving grayscale image data representing said image; determining a perforation density for representing said image; halftoning said grayscale image data based on said perforation density to form perforation halftone data; and producing said hardcopy output of said image by perforating said imaging medium in accordance with said perforation halftone data, wherein a maximum perforation density for said perforation density is selected based on a particular media type of said imaging medium being used.
11. The imaging system of claim 10 , wherein said perforation density is selected automatically.
12. The imaging system of claim 10 , wherein said perforation density is automatically set to a default maximum perforation density.
13. The imaging system of claim 10 , wherein said perforation density is manually selected.
14. The imaging system of claim 13 , wherein a user manually selects a maximum perforation density for a particular media type of said imaging medium being used.
15. The imaging system of claim 13 , wherein a user manually selects a desired perforation density for at least a portion of said image that is less than a maximum perforation density associated with a particular media type of said imaging medium.
16. The imaging system of claim 10 , wherein said grayscale image data is halftoned at a cell size that is substantially equal to a perforation hole diameter formed by a perforation device of said perforator unit.
17. The imaging system of claim 10 , wherein said perforation halftone data represents fill areas of said image that are to be perforated using a multidimensional perforation pattern corresponding to said grayscale image data.
18. The imaging system of claim 10 , wherein said perforating is performed by said perforator unit under the control of at least one of a controller of an imaging apparatus and a host.
19. A method to produce a hardcopy output of an image on an imaging medium, comprising: providing grayscale image data representing said image; determining a perforation density for representing said image; halftoning said grayscale image data based on said perforation density to form perforation halftone data; and producing said hardcopy output of said image by perforating said imaging medium in accordance with said perforation halftone data, wherein said perforation density is manually selected and wherein a user manually selects a maximum perforation density for a particular media type of said imaging medium being used.
20. A method to produce a hardcopy output of an image on an imaging medium, comprising: providing grayscale image data representing said image; determining a perforation density for representing said image; halftoning said grayscale image data based on said perforation density to form perforation halftone data; and producing said hardcopy output of said image by perforating said imaging medium in accordance with said perforation halftone data, wherein said perforation density is manually selected and wherein a user manually selects a desired perforation density for at least a portion of said image that is less than a maximum perforation density associated with a particular media type of said imaging medium.
21. An imaging system configured to produce a hardcopy output of an image on an imaging medium, comprising: a perforator unit for perforating said imaging medium; and a device having a driver, and communicatively coupled to said perforator unit, said device executing program instructions to perform the acts of: receiving grayscale image data representing said image; determining a perforation density for representing said image; halftoning said grayscale image data based on said perforation density to form perforation halftone data; and producing said hardcopy output of said image by perforating said imaging medium in accordance with said perforation halftone data, wherein said perforation density is manually selected and wherein a user manually selects a maximum perforation density for a particular media type of said imaging medium being used.
22. An imaging system configured to produce a hardcopy output of an image on an imaging medium, comprising: a perforator unit for perforating said imaging medium; and a device having a driver, and communicatively coupled to said perforator unit, said device executing program instructions to perform the acts of: receiving grayscale image data representing said image; determining a perforation density for representing said image; halftoning said grayscale image data based on said perforation density to form perforation halftone data; and producing said hardcopy output of said image by perforating said imaging medium in accordance with said perforation halftone data, wherein said perforation density is manually selected and wherein a user manually selects a desired perforation density for at least a portion of said image that is less than a maximum perforation density associated with a particular media type of said imaging medium.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 15, 2005
November 17, 2009
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